Facebook is not stupid
For years I avoided these social-networking sites. I've never caught onto the whole MySpace thing, for instance.
But for some reason I joined Facebook. Actually, I know exactly what the reason was - Ele spent all her time on it and it was just about the only way to communicate with her. Still, I thought it was a bit stupid.
But, this thing has power. With essentially no effort, I found myself talking to people I hadn't seen in years. Friends from high-school, old co-workers and so on. Then I discovered a group setup for those of us (boys from my school, the girls from another local grammar school) who used to go to the pub together every Friday and Saturday night. More old friends were discovered, and a reunion had already been arranged.
That reunion happened over the weekend, at a nice pub called The Greyhound. We used to go in there when we were seventeen or so, until they got a bit fussy with the whole legal drinking age thing, so we started going to one over the road instead - a pub called The Sun that could charitably be referred to as "a dive". Still, they served us back then and that was all that mattered. Some were, quite rightly, of the opinion that a proper reunion could only occur if we at had at least one drink in The Sun. Others, including me, were of the opinion that we only went there as a last resort then, it was still a dive now, and that as we are now respectable adults well over the legal drinking age, we should stay at the nice place.
In the event, it was a wonderful evening. Within moments it was as if the last 11 or so years simply hadn't happened. Everyone was still exactly the same. Ok, they might be in IT or lawyers or managers or builders or paramedics now, perhaps married or with kids, but deep down we were all the same as we were at 18. There was much catching up, much reminiscing and much drinking. Especially much drinking. The following morning was rather unpleasant, not helped by Joe waking up at 06:30, and having to attend a kids' birthday party and a funfair...
Hopefully another shall be arranged, and in less than eleven years' time. Although next time I shall have to time my offering of buying a round of drinks better. I managed to talk myself into buying 9 drinks in one go, at a cost of £30. Still, it was worth every penny.
This whole thing wouldn't have happened without Facebook. So I can no longer call it stupid.
But for some reason I joined Facebook. Actually, I know exactly what the reason was - Ele spent all her time on it and it was just about the only way to communicate with her. Still, I thought it was a bit stupid.
But, this thing has power. With essentially no effort, I found myself talking to people I hadn't seen in years. Friends from high-school, old co-workers and so on. Then I discovered a group setup for those of us (boys from my school, the girls from another local grammar school) who used to go to the pub together every Friday and Saturday night. More old friends were discovered, and a reunion had already been arranged.
That reunion happened over the weekend, at a nice pub called The Greyhound. We used to go in there when we were seventeen or so, until they got a bit fussy with the whole legal drinking age thing, so we started going to one over the road instead - a pub called The Sun that could charitably be referred to as "a dive". Still, they served us back then and that was all that mattered. Some were, quite rightly, of the opinion that a proper reunion could only occur if we at had at least one drink in The Sun. Others, including me, were of the opinion that we only went there as a last resort then, it was still a dive now, and that as we are now respectable adults well over the legal drinking age, we should stay at the nice place.
In the event, it was a wonderful evening. Within moments it was as if the last 11 or so years simply hadn't happened. Everyone was still exactly the same. Ok, they might be in IT or lawyers or managers or builders or paramedics now, perhaps married or with kids, but deep down we were all the same as we were at 18. There was much catching up, much reminiscing and much drinking. Especially much drinking. The following morning was rather unpleasant, not helped by Joe waking up at 06:30, and having to attend a kids' birthday party and a funfair...
Hopefully another shall be arranged, and in less than eleven years' time. Although next time I shall have to time my offering of buying a round of drinks better. I managed to talk myself into buying 9 drinks in one go, at a cost of £30. Still, it was worth every penny.
This whole thing wouldn't have happened without Facebook. So I can no longer call it stupid.
posted by Nej at
1:40 pm
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